Gearing for automobile vehicles.



No. 643,595. Patented Feb. l3, mm. L. a. DYEB. GEARING FOR AUTOMOBILE VEHICLES.

(Application filed Aug. 30, 1899.)

'(No model.)

' uric ATENT LEON RD HUNTRESS DYER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AS-

SIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH To FRANK L. DYER, OF MONTOLAIR, NEW

JERSEY.

GEARING FOR AUTOMOBILE VEHICLES.

ammemea forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,595, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed August 30, 1899. Serial N0.729,007. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing for Automobile Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in reducing and transmitting gears or mechanisms for motor-vehicles of the lighter classes, such as tricycles, quadricycles, and the like.

This invention isintended to be used in connection with a motor of the explosive or internal-combustion type; but as the invention relates exclusively to the gear any type or form of motor may be employed, as an electromotor or steam-engine.

The invention is intended to be applied directly to the supporting-axle without the interposition of chains or other gears; but where the exigencies of the case demand any form of transmitting-gear may be added.

The gear comprises, essentially,two parallel shafts, the driving one being preferably a continuation of the en gine-shaft, the driven shaft being the supporting-axle. The driving-shaft carries a pinion, which pinion is capable of longitudinal movement along the shaft and is secured thereto by means of a feather'or its equivalent. Means are employed for sliding the pinion. The driven shaft carries two gears of identical diameter, face, and pitch. These gears are arranged upon the shaft side by side, with a separating interval. pinion on the driving-shaft may engage with either or neither of these gears, as will depend upon its position upon its supportingshaft. One of the gears is supported upon the driven shaft and serves to drive the same at its own rate of speed, and the other is connected to the same shaft by an interposed epicyclic train, which reduces the speed of the driven shaft proportionately, as will be described.

A frictional yieldable disengageable fulcrum is arranged in connection with the epicyclic train, so that it may be gradually brought into use.

The

The second gear, with its attached epicyclic train and yieldable fulcrum, form together the starting or slow-speed gear. The first gear forms the high speed, the pinion being shifted to engage with the one or the other, as desired. WVhen the high-speed gear is in use, the low-speed gear, together with its epicyclic train, turns as an entirety and causes no noise, nor does it consume power by friction.

The invention further relates to means whereby the engine may be started by the ordinary tricycle pedals, and also to means whereby the vehicle may be propelled by the pedals, either exclusively or as an auxiliary power.

In order to better understand the nature of the invention, attention is called to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side view of an automobile tricycle embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, of the bridge, of the rear axle, and of the gears; and Fig. 3 is a section of the sprocket and clutch, taken on the lines 00 a: of Fig. 2.

In all the several views like parts are designated by the same figures of reference.

The driven shaft or supporting-axle 1 is maintained parallel to the driving or engine shaft 2 by the casing 3. I

The-sleeves which support the axle 1 may be continued out to a point adjacent to the hubs of the driving-wheels or they may be of but sufficient length to contain the inside bearings, the outside bearings depending from a bridge, as is the Well-known practice.

The axle 1 is interrupted at 4:, where is located the differential. The latter is not shown in the drawings, as it would tend to confuse, but it is of any well-known type and is connected to the inside of the gear-box 5. The latter is provided with working teeth upon its periphery, which form the gear 6, and with a drum 7, upon which engages the main bandbrake, as will be understood.

The gear 6, turning at the same rate of speed as the driven shaft, will form the highspeed gearing.

The gear-box 5 carries or has formed upon one of its sides the sleeve 8, to which is attached the collar or flange 9 by any suitable means, such as the screw-threads 10. The Y collar carries upon one face a numbersay f0urof studs or axles 11, which form axes for the small planetary gears 12. Mounted loosely upon the sleeve 8, between the gearbox 5 and the collar 9, is the gear 13. The latter is of identically the same diameter, pitch, and face as the gear 6. The gear 13 has formed integrally therewith a small hubpinion 14. The latterengages with the planetary gears 12.

Upon the shaft 1 and adjacent to the collar 9 is the sleeve 15, carrying a collar or flange 16 thereon. The latter is provided with an internal gear 17 and an external drum 18, upon which engages the band-brake 19. Suitable means are used for applying the band-brakeas, for instance, the hand-lever 27. The internal gear 17 engages with the planetary gears 12.

The gear 13, the planetary gears 12, and the gear 17 form the low-speed gear, the brake 19 being the fulcrum for the epicyclic train.

The driving-shaft 2 carries a pinion 22 thereon. This pinion is keyed to its supporting-shaft by means of the feather 23. It is moved or shifted laterally by means of the lever 24, secured to the shaft 25. The latter is manipulated by any suitable means-as, for instance, the lever 26.

Concentrically mounted upon the hub of the wheel 13 is the sprocket-pinion 20. The latter is preferably connected to its hearing by means of an ordinary form of overriding ratchet or roller clutch 21. A chain 29 connects the pinion 20 with the sprocket-gear on the crank-shaft.

The operation of the entire device is as follows: An explosive-engine with electric ignition is supposed to be used. To start the motor, the pinion 22 is first shifted to engage with the gea-r13. Power is then applied to the pedals 30, and the sprocket 20, by means of its clutch 21, will engage with the wheel 13 and rotate the same. The pinion 22, being in mesh therewith, will be rotated in the proper direction. The engine started it will soon reach a high rate of speed. The operator can now stop pedaling, the clutch acting passively. The vehicle will remain stationary. To advance slowly, the brake 19 is gradually applied by manipulating the handlever 27. This tends to arrest the motion of the internal gear 17, which acts as a fulcrum for the engaging teeth of the small pinions 12. Power being applied at 14 (through the gear 13) will rotate the sleeve 8 and collar 9 in the same direction, the speed of which depends upon the relative diameters of the gears 14: and 17. The collar 9, being rigidly connected to the differential through the connection of the sleeve 8, will rotate that at the same rate of speed and in the same direct-ion.

To use the high gear, the electric circuit of the motor is first broken by means of the switch 31, contained, for instance, .in the left handle-grip in the manner Well known in automobile trieycles. The pinion 22 is then shifted along its shaft by means of the lever 26 to disengage from the gear 13 and engage with the gear 6. The circuit is then closed by the switch 31. There will be no resulting shock or jar, because the vehicle is already moving at a fair rate of speed.

In the eventof the motor-becoming disabled the pinion 22 is placed in the intermediate position between the gears 6 and 13 and the brake 19 applied. The pedals being rotated, thesprocket 20 and gear 13 will follow, and consequently the epicyclic train, as described in connection with the low-speed gear.

It will be seen that the auxiliary pedalpower is always ready and can be instantly applied.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A gearing for motorvehicles, comprising in combination two parallel shafts, two gears of equal diameter on one of said shafts, intermediate gearing interposed between one of the gears and the shaft, and means carried by the second shaft, for rotating either of said gears.

2. Agearingformotor-vehicles,comprising in combination two parallel shafts, two gears of equal diameter on one of said shafts, intermediate gearing interposed between one of the gears and the shaft, and a single pinion carried by the second shaft, and capable of engaging with either of said gears.

3. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combination two parallel shafts, two gears of equal diameter on one of the said shafts, intermediate epicyclic gearing interposed between one of the gears and the said shaft, a brake forming the fulcrum of said epicyclic train, and means carried by the second shaft for rotating either of said gears.

4. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combinationtwo parallel shafts, two gears of equal diameter on one of said shafts, intermediate epicyclic gearing interposed between one of the gears and the said shaft, a brake forming the fulcrum of said epicyclic train, and a single pinion carried by the second shaft, and capable of engaging with either of said gears.

5. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combination a driven axle, an engine-shaft parallel thereto, two gears of equal diameter on said driven axle, intermediate gearing interposed between one of the gears and the axle, a starting-gear secured to the said gear, and a single pinion carried by the engineshaft, and capable of engaging with either of said gears.

6. A gearing formotor-vehicles, comprising in combination a driven axle, an engine-shaft parallel thereto, two gears of equal diameter on said driven axle, intermediate epicyclic gearing interposed between one of the gears and the said axle, a brake forming the fulcrum of said epicyclic train, a starting-gear secured to the said gear and means carried by the engine-shaft for rotating either of said gears.

7. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combination a driven axle, an engine-shaft parallel thereto, two gears of equal diameter on said driven axle, intermediate epicyclic gearing interposed between one of the gears and the said axle, a brake forming the fulcrum of said epicyclio train, a starting-gear secured to the said gear, and a single pinion carried by the engine-shaft, and capable of engaging with either of said gears.

8. A gearingformotor-vehicles, comprising in combination the supporting-axle, 1, the engine-shaft 2, parallel thereto, the two gears 6 and 13 of equal diameters, the gear 6 having a sleeve 8, the collar 9, thereon, said sleeve supporting the gear 13, the pinions 12, mounted upon said collar and engaging with the hub of the gear 13, the gear 17 concentrically mounted in relation to the shaft 1, and engaging with the gears 12 and a brake or stop 19, for arresting the gear 17, and a single pinion 22 carried by the shaft 2 and capable of engaging with either the gears 6 or 13, substantially as described.

9. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combination the supporting-axle 1, the engine-shaft 2 parallel thereto, the two gears 6 and 13 of equal diameters, the gear 6 having a sleeve 8, the collar 9 thereon, said sleeve supporting the gear 13, the pinions 12, mounted upon said collar and engaging with the hub of the gear 13, the gear 17, concentrically mounted in relation to the shaft 1, and engaging With the gears 12, a starting-gear 2O connecting with the gear 13, and a brake or stop 19, for arresting the gear 17 and a single pinion 22 carried by the shaft 2 and capable of engaging with either the gears 6 or 13, substantially as described.

10. A gearing for motor-vehicles, comprising in combination the supporting-axle 1, the engine-shaft 2, parallel thereto, the two gears 6 and 13, of equal diameters, the gear 6 having a sleeve 8, the collar 9 thereon, said sleeve supporting the gear 13, the pinions 12, mounted upon said collar and engaging with the hub of the gear 13, the gear 17, concentrically mounted in relation to the shaft 1 and engaging With the gears 12, a starting-gear 20, the clutch 21, connecting the gears 20 and 13, and a brake or stop 19 for arresting the gear 17, and a single pinion 22, carried by the shaft 2 and capable of engaging with either the gears 6 or 13, substantially as described.

11. In a gearing for motor-vehicles, the combination of a driven axle, an engine-shaft, a high-speed and a low-speed gear each of the same diameter, between said axle and shaft, interposed gearing between the low-speed gear and the axle, means for bringing either gear into operation, and auxiliary means whereby the low-speed gear may be operated, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 30th day of August, 1899.

LEONARD HUNTRESS DYER. 

